Child Life Specialist - Pediatrics Specialty Practice Resources - Downtown Orlando

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

•  Demonstrates knowledge and ability to provide clinical support/education to patients and families of all age groups.  Uses basic knowledge around formal and informal assessment techniques to accurately determine patients’ developmental and emotional status, and documents such as indicated.  Verbalizes developmental theory to support assessments and interventions with patients and families.  Uses resources to accommodate cultural and communication/language needs to provide comprehensive care.  Provides age appropriate, non-pharmacological pain management techniques to patients to optimize outcomes.  Uses developmentally appropriate and medically accurate teaching strategies to ensure that cognitive and emotional needs are supported prior to, during and following invasive and perceived threatening procedures and surgeries.  Provides parental guidance regarding impact of illness, hospitalization, treatment and bereavement.  Determines and prioritizes the needs and scope of child life services for each patient and family members, i.e. siblings.  Provides direction to Child Life Assistants and Child Life Volunteers related to patient care activity and services.
• Provides a therapeutic and safe environment for individuals and groups, ages 0-21.  Utilizes therapeutic play, both in group settings and one-on-one interactions to facilitate a child’s mastery of and coping with the health care experience.  Ensures a safe, appropriate and child-friendly environment within the play spaces.  Aware of patient safety issues in the health care environment and demonstrates such awareness.  Adheres to hospital policy regarding patient confidentiality and infection control.
• Represents and communicates child life and psychosocial issues of pediatric health care.  Participates in Child Life student experiences.  Serves as a subject matter expert about the work of child life to various tour groups visiting the hospital.  Recommends/provides programs and resources to curriculum/training of health care staff, students and volunteers.
• Assists with programs that involve the community for purposes of enhancing the patient experience.  Helps provide input for community service projects such as donations of supplies, entertainment and recreational experiences.  Collaborates with internal stakeholders to ensure good communication and compliance with OH requirements.  Effectively serves as a liaison between a community partner and the patients/families for purposes of facilitating meaningful introductions and interactions between them.  Contributes to post-event assessment to determine whether changes are warranted in the future for continued enhancement to the patient experience.
• Maintains professional practice standards and engagement:  Conducts self-evaluation and participates in establishing professional goals.  Adheres to the professional code of ethics of the Association of Child Life Professionals.  Consistently follows Code of Conduct Standards and compliance with all department/hospital performance requirements.  Demonstrates a positive professional attitude and cooperatively and constructively relates to all patients, families, guests, and other health care members.  Respects and supports patient/family’s rights and advocates for patient/families.  Maintains compliance with all Orlando Health policies and procedures.

Qualifications

Education/Training

Bachelor’s degree in child Life, Child Development, Early Childhood Education, Therapeutic Recreation, Family and Child Studies or related field. Successful completion of a specific child life student internship.

Licensure/Certification

 Must maintain professional certification as a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) as awarded by the Child Life Certifying Commission; or eligible to sit for the CCLS exam and successfully complete within first year of employment.  Maintains current BLS/HealthCare Provider certification.

Experience

None. Previous experience preferred.